


Bent Both Ways

by NerdyLittleChickWithWings



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec is gay, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Magnus Bane Is A Freewheeling Bisexual, Malec, Saphael, Shameless Smut, Slow Burn, Smut, Yoga, all that stuff is later in the fic, but trust me it will be there, everyone wears yoga pants at least once, never forget that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-06-09 00:29:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6881992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NerdyLittleChickWithWings/pseuds/NerdyLittleChickWithWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus Bane is the most skilled yoga instructor Brooklyn has to offer and Alec Lightwood is possibly the most stressed out and uptight man he has ever met. With judgmental parents, a family business he doesn't want to inherit, and enough sexual frustration to fill the ocean, will Alec be able to find some peace in his sister's zen instructor? </p><p> </p><p>(I promise my stories are better than my summaries.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Drama Queen

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So, Ive decided to try writing a multi-chapter fic and I hope I can keep up on it but I will apologize in advance if my updates are incredibly slow in the future. Anyway, I got this idea because I really love the idea of all of our beloved characters in yoga pants. So, here you have it. The first chapter is pretty short but I hope you like it!

     “Great practice today, everyone. Arms up. Hands to the heart.” Magnus murmured, his voice carrying softly through the large room as he stretched his long limbs toward the ceiling, pressing his hands together and bringing them down to his heart after a moment, head bowed. He took a deep breath, almost perfectly in unison with everyone else, and brought his prayer-like clasped hands to his forehead. “Namaste.”

     He lifted his head and smiled at the people in the room, many of them already moving to roll up their mats. “Alright, you know the drill, my lovelies. Please put on your shoes _after_ you leave and clean up any water bottles and gather all of your belongings. I hope to see many of you back again on Monday.” Magnus stood, his lithe body easily unfolding from its crisscross position on the floor. He leaned down and snatched his water bottle from beside his mat, taking a drink and running a hand through his slightly sweaty black hair. On days like this, when he set up a more advanced and intense practice, he left his hair free of product. He had learned the hard way that hair gel dripping into your eyes was not a pleasant feeling.

     “Magnus! That was fantastic!” Isabelle, Magnus’s most dedicated yogini who had flexibility skills that rivaled even his own, skipped up to him with her pink mat rolled up under her arm and her tennis shoes dangling from her fingers. With her amazing fashion sense and biting sarcasm, Isabelle had quickly wormed her way into the small circle of Magnus’s close friends and he enjoyed hearing her feedback after every practice.

     “Was it? I was terrified old Mrs. Johnston would have a heart attack when we went into Tittibhasana.” Magnus looked mildly concerned, sparkling purple fingernails tapping anxiously on the sides of his metal water bottle.

     Isabelle couldn’t help but nod in agreement.  “I noticed. I didn’t expect you to throw Firefly pose at us either, in her defense.” She shrugged and grabbed Magnus’s bottle from his hands, taking a swig from it herself. He pulled a face as she handed it back to him, mouth twisted in slight disgust as he took the bottle.

     “As someone with little to no boundaries, _that_ was too far. I will have to bleach this now. And you even got your lipstick on the edge. What a waste of a good color and a nice water bottle.” He sighed heavily and headed toward the mat room doors, leaving his mat and shoes behind to grab later when he locked up and left. Isabelle followed, rolling her eyes almost audibly.

     “Drama queen.” She muttered as they made their way through the main gym that Magnus’s yoga studio was connected to. Technically, he owned the whole building but with no need for such a large space, Magnus had let his longtime friend Raphael use the majority of it to run an upscale gym. As long as the gym rats kept their music down and their sweat stench to a minimum, Magnus let Raphael’s ‘rent’ payments slide. After all, Magnus was an intelligent investor with more than enough money to spare.

     “Nice to know you are looking at my ass too, dear Isabelle.” Magnus tossed a smirk over his shoulder at her. Both of them knew that, despite the attempts at subtlety, many of the men and even some women that they passed in the workout room were staring at them. More specifically, their well fitted yoga pants and the ‘assets’ that they enhanced. Magnus allowed them a little leniency, however, as ‘DRAMA QUEEN’ in sparkling purple block letters across his ass was indeed something eye catching.

      Magnus led them into his office, which held his own private shower and changing rooms. Isabelle flopped onto the comfortable loveseat he had and stretched out, grabbing her phone from her bra. Magnus eyed her with disapproval, muttering about radiation as he rifled through his small locker like wardrobe, looking for a clean shirt and his deodorant. He found a plain purple crop top and slipped off his current, sweat soaked red tank top, dropping it into a small laundry hamper with distaste. He quickly applied his deodorant before tugging the crop top on and turning around to face Isabelle again, who arched a brow as soon as she looked up from her phone at him.

     “I don’t mean to be rude, but where the hell is your belly button?” She asked, sounding quite rude. Magnus snorted and sat down on his metal office desk, bare feet dangling a few inches above the floor as he kicked them casually.

     “Birth defect. The scar tissue never went in or out, it just sort of…smoothed over.” Magnus shrugged and opened his mouth to ask why Isabelle had even followed him to his office instead of going home when her phone rang, the ringtone making Magnus’s eyebrows shoot up.

_‘He likes boys! Finally now it’s all making sense. He likes boys!’_

     Isabelle answered it with a small smirk. “Hey big bro, what’s up?” She sat up on the couch and Magnus cocked his head, curious and a little offended that Isabelle didn’t think to tell him, a bisexual and _very_ single man, that she had an older, presumably gay brother, at least if the ringtone was anything to go by.

    The unintelligible response from her brother was nothing but a murmur of annoyed noise to Magnus from across the room. Isabelle rolled her eyes at whatever he had said and responded calmly. “I’m talking to Magnus, my instructor. If you are so sick of waiting out there for me, then come in. It’s a gym, Alec, not a community of lepers.” Magnus giggled at her joke and she shot him a curious look which he avoided, trying to look nonchalant and serious by pressing his lips together and turning his head.

     “Fine. I’ll be out in a minute.” Isabelle sighed heavily as she hung up and grabbed her shoes, bending over to slip them on. “Sorry, Magnus. Alec is being particularly crabby today.”

     Magnus hummed in response and stood, wandering over to perch on the arm of the loveseat by Isabelle. “No worries. I have cleaning to do anyway. However, Isabelle, darling, may I ask you a question?” Magnus looked down at her, fidgeting with his fingers though his face and lazy smile betrayed no signs of nervousness.

     She finished lacing her shoes and grabbed her rolled up mat off the couch. “Yeah?” She asked, standing and looking at Magnus with slight confusion.

     He gave her a mischievous look, almond shaped eyes sparkling. “Does your brother happen to be single?”

     Isabelle’s only response as she turned and left the room was a wink and a giant grin.

 


	2. Stressed

"Thank God, you guys are back. Mom is on a rampage over the deadline and Alec, it’s your head on the chopping block.” Jace piped up as soon as Alec and Isabelle entered the large Lightwood home. He had his keys in his hand and was taking his jacket off the hook when they entered and Alec raised an eyebrow. 

"Nothing new. Where are you running off to?" Alec crossed his arms and stared at Jace, who shrugged and smiled.

"Isabelle has her yoga to calm down and I have Clary. You should find an outlet or something, dude." Jace clapped Alec on the shoulder and Isabelle laughed as Alec sighed heavily, looking annoyed.

"I don't need an outlet, especially not like Isabelle's yoga thing." Jace seemed to realize this conversation wasnt going to go anywhere and he slipped out the front door, no goodbyes necessary. Alec turned and began to walk down the long entryway to the front room. Isabelle followed with a smirk. 

"We've all got our things, Alec." She gave him a knowing sideways glance and he avoided her eyes, tucking his hands into the pockets of his old black jeans. Ever since he had come out last year at Christmas, Jace and Isabelle always took the chance to bring it up, often with a joke that involved his single status and virginity. He knew that his siblings meant no harm but it was exhausting to listen to sometimes. 

 “Alexander, what is the meaning of this?” Maryse jumped on him as soon as he rounded the corner into the living room. She had been sitting on the leather couch, typing away on her laptop but now she was standing and waving a piece of paper as she walked toward him and Izzy. Alec caught a glimpse of it and assumed from the format that it was a printed email.

“The meaning of what?” He asked, and ducked his head a little to avoid Maryse’s hard eyes.

“I will not have you tarnishing the name of this company and our family after all your father and I have worked for. This is an email from Dumort Industries stating that they did not receive the product shipment of computer resources that was supposedly sent two weeks ago. I made you Product Development manager for a reason, Alexander. And now you are slacking off? Where is the shipment? Did you verify it? Or is it still sitting in our warehouses?” Maryse was bombarding Alec with question after question, her voice getting louder as she went on. He stood there in silence, body language betraying nothing of the hurt that Isabelle could see in his eyes. She knew her brother hated working for the family, knew that it wasn’t what he wanted to do with his life but she also knew that Alec put family before everything, including himself.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ll send out an email to Dumort Industries and apologize. I will compensate them for the late shipment and you can take it out of my check. I’ll call the warehouse and make sure the shipment gets found. I…I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.” Alec’s calm façade wavered a bit as he stumbled over the last few words. Maryse narrowed her eyes but seemed placated by his response.

“Get this fixed, Alexander. I expected more out of you, for God’s sake. Maybe I should have chosen Jace for this job.” Maryse stormed from the room without another word, not so much as even glancing at Isabelle. Alec stood still for a moment before he turned and began to walk down the opposite hall to his room, staring straight ahead with a stone expression. Isabelle quickly followed.

“Alec, you know it’s not your fault, right? Shipments get lost sometimes.” Isabelle’s tone was soft as they approached Alec’s door. He opened it and stepped inside, slamming it shut behind him just as he spoke.

“It’s always my fault, Isabelle.”

 

********************************************************************

 

The next morning, five miles away in Brooklyn, Magnus entered Raphael’s gym with a murderous look on his face. It was 6:00 in the morning and Raphael had had the nerve to call Magnus at 5:30 to ask him to come in, waking Magnus up from a very pleasant dream and refusing to provide any reason as to why he had to be up at this godawful hour. As Magnus made his way to Raphael’s office in the back of the building, right next to his own, he was already plotting ways to kill his best friend.

“Raphael Santiago, unless someone died in this building and I have paperwork to fill out then you better start planning your escape.” Magnus growled tiredly as he flung open the office door. And was met with darkness. Complete darkness. He reached for the light switch and flicked it upward, but nothing happened. Magnus simply stood in the doorway for a moment before he looked back over his shoulder and noticed that none of the other lights in the building were on either, and the gym was only lit by the early morning light coming through the floor to ceiling windows that covered two sides of the vast room.

“As far as I know, the only thing that seems to have died is the power.” Raphael spoke up from the dark office and Magnus turned back to the room, arching an eyebrow at where he assumed Raphael was sitting at his desk.

“Really now? And you just decided to sit in the dark and hope God would say ‘Let there be light?’” Magnus snapped sarcastically before taking a gulp of his coffee. “Why haven’t you reset the breaker yet?”

There was a moment of silence before Raphael spoke, his rough voice cutting through the darkness again. “I don’t know how.” His tone was anything but apologetic and suddenly, not for the first time when dealing with Raphael, Magnus felt like pulling his own hair out.

“Well then get up and I’ll show you.” Magnus spoke in an exasperated tone. He waited in the doorway until Raphael appeared, almost bumping into Magnus and spilling his coffee. Magnus glared at him, his usually soft yellow-green eyes hardening and glittering with the hate only a rudely awoken Magnus Bane could possess. “Raphael. If you ruin my morning in any other way…” Magnus trailed off and took another large drink of his coffee. Rapahel stared at him unfazed, his face the usual emotionless and vaguely annoyed mask. Magnus made a noise of disgust and stormed off down the hall with his cellphone flashlight to help him navigate to the storage and electrical room. Raphael thought about telling him how ridiculous he looked in bright yellow sweats with his hair a mess and his makeup nonexistent, but opted to stay silent and follow Magnus instead.

They entered the back room, a small and crowded area that smelled vaguely like mold and mildew. Both Magnus and Raphael scrunched up their noses and carefully made their way to the breaker box on the back wall. Opening the little metal door with a huff, Magnus searched for a moment before finding the correct switch and resetting it. The lights immediately flickered to life and Raphael hissed in pain, squeezing his eyes shut tightly. Magnus raised his brows and poked Raphael’s shoulder insistently until he managed to crack open his eyes again, glaring daggers at Magnus, who only gave a little smirk.

“Shall I mix you a bloody Mary and carry it back to your coffin for you, Raphy?” Magnus seemed pleased with his little joke and Raphael only looked more irritated.

“I’ve been sitting in the dark for the past hour, Magnus. I wasn’t ready.” Raphael brushed imaginary dust off his leather jacket and turned to leave the room with Magnus hot on his heels.

“Being friends with you makes me look like I’m not funny. Can’t you at least pretend to laugh?” Magnus griped and Raphael blatantly ignored him. Magnus sighed and rolled his eyes. “Well then, while you are busy being yourself, I’m going to nap on my couch. Do not wake me.” He narrowed his eyes and with a flourish, entered his own office and shut the door. Looking around, he set his coffee on his glass topped desk and went to lay down on the leather loveseat, pulling out his phone and setting a few alarms before tucking an arm under his head and yawning. He suddenly wondered what Isabelle’s mysterious brother looked like and a small smile quirked up the edges of his lips just as he drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know, they haven't even met yet! But I'll get there, I promise. And I'll do my best to make it the greatest meeting ever. Feedback is greatly appreciated and I hope you liked it! :) Also, I apologize that I write the SHORTEST CHAPTERS IN THE WORLD. I try to make them longer and then I look at how much there is and its barely anything. :(


	3. Downward Dog

“Magnus. Magnus. Magnus!” Magnus was roused from his peaceful sleep by the irritated and urgent voice of Raphael, who was leaning over him. Raphael was dressed in workout clothes, unlike earlier, a cut off tank top exposing his muscular arms and tanned skin while a pair of loose shorts showed off his strong calves. His face was a mask of distaste as he watched Magnus wipe a bit of drool from his cheek.

“Wha’? What time is it?” Magnus yawned and sat up, his hair a sleep ruffled mess and his eyes still droopy. He stretched his arms above his head and winced as he heard pops and cracks accompanied by a sore pain from sleeping on his small and uncomfortable leather loveseat. Raphael even managed to look sympathetic as he heard the awful noises.

“It’s almost 7:00 AM. I assume you want to look presentable before we both open?” Magnus gave a silent nod of agreement and stood slowly, his legs disagreeing with him as they were stretched out for the first time since he had fallen asleep. His knees buckled slightly and Raphael eyed him, looking prepared to catch Magnus if he fell over but also looking like he might not care enough to actually do it.

“Perhaps sleeping in the fetal position wasn’t a good idea. Though it will make for interesting and beneficial classes today.” Magnus mused aloud and Raphael looked uninterested. Yoga was never something he cared for, preferring the usual weight lifting gym style of exercise, even after Magnus had tried to convince him of the benefits of being so flexible which only made his friend turn green with nausea at the thought of Magnus reaping the benefits of his flexibility. Magnus made a shooing motion toward him with his hand and headed toward his private bathroom. Raphael needed no more encouragement and left the office.

Magnus’s bathroom was located in the dressing room attached to his office where he kept spare clothes, emergency makeup and styling equipment, as well as other various items like a first aid kit and some alcohol. The drinking kind, of course. It was a small area with only one wall for hanging clothes and a few drawers beneath it and the bathroom was no different. It contained a toilet, a miniscule standing sink, and a glass walled shower. The décor was minimal but no less stylish than one would expect from Magnus Bane, and though he preferred the grandeur of his spacey loft and the large tub and shower combination he had there, for now this would have to work.

Stripping quickly out of his clothes, Magnus turned the shower on and thanked whatever Gods there were above that the hot water worked quickly in this building. He stepped under the warm spray and tried to focus on the beating water relaxing his muscles. His mind kept drifting back to Isabelle’s brother, much to his own surprise. He hadn’t even met the boy and he was already wondering what his lips might feel like against Magnus’s own, soft or slightly chapped, plump and teasing or thin and daring…

He shook his head of the thoughts with a heavy sigh, finishing washing the shampoo from his hair. He must really be getting desperate to be having such depraved thoughts about someone he didn’t know a single thing about. He had been abstaining from relationships for quite a long time, among other things.

He finished up his shower within five minutes, stepping out and quickly toweling the extra water out of his hair and off his body. He checked his phone and cursed. 6:54 AM. He didn’t have his first class until 8:30 AM but he despised the idea of not being presentable when all of the patrons of The Bar started to show up. He had to give Raphael some credit for the name of the gym. For a man who laughed maybe once a year and usually at someone else’s pain, the name The Bar with the symbol of a weight bar as the logo was quite the clever joke. Even if Magnus couldn’t convince him to actually serve any alcohol.

Tossing his phone down and tying the towel around his waist, Magnus went back into the dressing room and rummaged around in the drawers for a pair of yoga pants. He ended up choosing a rather bright blue pair with black stripes down the sides. They were the ones that ended just a bit below the knee, his preferred style. Grabbing a loose white tank top that read ‘I do yoga to relieve stress. Just kidding, I drink wine in my yoga pants.’, Magnus walked back to the bathroom. On the tiny sink counter was a plain black eyeliner pencil, some face cream, and another pencil of eyeliner, though this one was silver and glittery. Magnus applied all of these with practiced speed. He eventually convinced himself his winged eyeliner was matching enough and outlined it with the silver pencil before setting them down. He slipped his tank top over his head and turned to gaze at himself in the mirror, debating leaving his hair down to air dry while simultaneously checking himself out. After quite a few winks at himself, he decided against it, grabbing an elastic tie and taking the long flop of hair he had atop his head and combing it back with his fingers into a small bun. Finally satisfied with his appearance, he left the bathroom and glanced at his phone again.

7:06 AM.

Okay, well, he _thought_ he was quick at getting ready but he never said he was perfect.

He left his office, snickering to himself at the thought.

Who was he kidding? Of course he was perfect.

**********************************************************

“Alec, have you seen my yoga mat?” Isabelle entered the kitchen, where a tired looking Alec stood, leaning against the counter and eating a bowl of plain Cheerios. He didn’t look up or answer her question and she snapped her fingers near his ear. He flinched and looked up from his cereal, which he had been staring into blankly. He stared at her, eyes vacant.

“Uh…what?” He mumbled and blinked a few times at her. Isabelle’s irritation faded into sympathy as she saw the dark circles under his eyes and the tense draw of his shoulders.

“My mat, Alec. Is it still in your car?” She walked over to the cupboards to grab a granola bar and a flavor packet for her water bottle, shoving them into the Victoria’s Secret gym bag she had tossed on the counter. She turned back toward him and he seemed to have spaced out again. She stalked over to him and took the bowl from his hands before grabbing his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. “Big brother. Hey.” Her eyebrows drew together in concern as he lightly pushed her hands away and shook his head.

“No, don’t start, Izzy. I’m fine. I just didn’t sleep very well last night.” His voice was already closed off, not in the mood for any sort of lecture. She put her hands on her hips and glared softly at him.

“Alec, I’m allowed to worry about you. If you keep stressing yourself out like this, you are going to burn out. You need something to relax you.” She tossed her hands in the air, gesturing at him as she spoke. Alec acted as if she hadn’t said anything and cleared his throat.

“I think your yoga mat is still in the backseat. I’ll go get the keys.” He turned and left the kitchen. Isabelle was left standing there, lost in her own thoughts as a diabolical and wide grin spread across her face. Grabbing her yoga bag, she chased after her brother down the hall.

“That’s it! Alec! Come do yoga with me!” She skipped up to him, just in time to hear him scoff and roll his eyes.

“Absolutely not, Isabelle.” He opened the door to his bedroom and walked in, grabbing his black jacket off the floor and searching the pockets for his car keys. Isabelle followed him in, practically bouncing in place.

“Yes! It’s great for stress and Savasana makes you feel really well rested! It’s perfect for you!” She clapped her hands and stared at him, eyes wide and Alec could sense the puppy dog look coming so he quickly glanced away. He found his keys and shoved them in the pocket of his jeans, tossing his jacket back to the floor and leaving the room, Isabelle yet again following him.

“Izzy, I don’t own yoga pants. I don’t have a mat. And besides…from what I’ve heard about some of these poses…No, Izzy. Not happening.” He stopped in the hallway and turned to her with a less than apologetic smile.

She pouted, brown eyes widening a fraction. “You can wear sweats! And the studio has spare mats! Please, please, please, please, Alec!” She clasped her hands together, begging.

Alec crossed his arms and shook his head. “Isabel-“

“Did I mention that my instructor is single, bisexual, and has a great ass that you will get to see bent over in tight yoga pants?” Isabelle’s eyes twinkled as she interrupted him, a smirk on her face and one eyebrow arched.

Alec narrowed his eyes at her. “Don’t play dirty like that.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes, her smile turning into one of fake innocence. “And I may have told him about you…and he may have asked if you were single…” She raised her eyebrows, awaiting his response.

Taking a deep breath and thinking about how much he was going to regret this, he shrugged. “Fine. I’ll go to one class. But! On one condition. Absolutely no trying to hook me up with the instructor. Got it?” He pointed a finger at her, eyes serious. Isabelle squealed and hugged him around the waist.

“Thank you! Now, come on! The class I go to starts at 12:00 and I want to get coffee and breakfast before we go.” Isabelle grabbed his hand and tugged him down the hall and all Alec could keep thinking about was how that instructor’s ass better be worth it.

*******************************

Magnus huffed out a sigh as he re-tied his hair up into the bun it had been in at the beginning of practice. He went over to the corner of the large mat room and snatched his gym bag, a small, black and stud encrusted piece, and rummaged through it for his phone. Quickly ridding the screen of all the useless notifications, he noted he had about a half hour before his next class. Having had two already, he briefly wondered if he should go change and freshen up. His yoga practices were nothing less than intense and the room was kept at a higher temperature of around 80-85 degrees most of the time. Placing his phone back into his bag and setting it back on the ground, he strode over to where he stored all of the mats. He quickly separated any of the ones that had been used today and gave them all a spray down with the all-natural cleaning fluid he made himself. Shrugging, he decided to spray down the rest of them as well. As he was putting them all back, he heard the mat room door behind him open and without turning, he called out.

“Class isn’t for another thirty minutes, you know.”

“Of course I know, but I came in here to warn you.” The familiar voice teased. Magnus turned, one eyebrow raised as he looked at Isabelle.

“Oh? Warn me about what?” He walked back across the large mat room to her. She grinned.

“My brother. I got him to come do yoga today. And right now, he is in the changing rooms so I figured I would come give you a heads up so you won’t faint when he walks in the room.” Magnus’s eyebrows flew up.

“He is that attractive? Well, then I have to thank you for saving my life and my pride in advance.” Magnus winked at her with a chuckle as he grabbed his water bottle from the ground next to his mat. His long fingers curled around the bottle more protectively than usual and Isabelle rolled her eyes as he took a drink.

“On a serious note, he has been under a lot of stress and I think this will be good for him. Go easy on him, yeah? He isn’t much of a yoga guy. He prefers a punching bag.” Isabelle added as Magnus fiddled with his water bottle, opening and shutting the click cap.

“Perhaps the other part of this building would be better for him then?” Magnus gestured toward the general direction of Raphael’s gym. Isabelle shook her head.

“No, he needs someone who is a little more…well. You. He is out of the closet but he isn’t very confident. And you are the epitome of confidence.”

Magnus put a hand to his heart in a dramatic motion. “ME? Oh, Isabelle, I would be honored to charm your brother into being a more flamboyantly gay man.” He wiped under his eyes and gave a fake sniffle. “Oh, dear, I’m tearing up at the privilege.” Isabelle gently shoved his shoulder.

“You know that’s not what I meant. Not all gay men wear glitter, Maggie. I just want him to be a little more confident in himself.” Isabelle headed to her usual spot at the front and unrolled her mat. Magnus scoffed at the nickname and went over to his own mat, folding his long, lithe body down into a lotus position, his legs folded with both feet on his thighs.

“I know, dear. No worries. I shall take your brother under my wing.” He smiled at her just as the mat room door opened and people began to pour in, immediately heading to their usual spots or grabbing mats from the back. Many of them were new and they eyed Magnus suspiciously, sitting more toward the back of the room. Magnus was used to this, as yoga classes themselves were often accompanied with the fear that people might stare at you while you practiced. That and his makeup tended to make people look twice. Men wearing makeup would be more acceptable one day, he hoped to himself.

Magnus sat there, smiling and waving and guiding newcomers with the usual greetings, rules, and directions, when a very uneasy looking man entered the room. He was tall, taller than Magnus by at least four inches he would reckon, and he had dark hair that sat in a barely tamed mess atop his head. He wore a plain black tank top and matching black sweats. Noting the resemblance, Magnus assumed this was Isabelle’s brother. And Magnus silently thanked Isabelle for the warning. He was beautiful. If Magnus had been standing, he may have fallen over. And as if the thought caused the movement, Magnus stood and was making his way to the boy before he even realized what he was actually doing.

Up close, he was even more stunning. He had a slim and sharp jaw, lightly tanned skin, and dark hazel eyes under an intense brow. His lips were a perfectly kissable pink and Magnus found himself chewing on his own bottom lip as he looked at them.

It took a solid twenty seconds before the face that Magnus had been blatantly staring at contorted into confusion and Magnus realized he hadn’t spoken.

“Oh, my. Where are my manners? I’m Magnus Bane. You must be Isabelle’s older brother…?” He trailed off, raising a questioning eyebrow. The man couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he spoke to Magnus.

“Alec. Uh, I should really, um, probably-“

“Grab a mat and join the group? Of course. Toward the back. Oh, and Alexander? Which is your full name, I presume? Anyway, next time, yoga pants are preferable to sweats. Less restricting fabric getting in the way during the practice.” Magnus winked and Alec blinked, eyes wide before he rushed past Magnus toward the back of the room. Magnus couldn’t help but smirk to himself and head back to his own mat. Isabelle gave him an encouraging smile as Alec settled onto a mat he had placed next to her.

“Izzy, what the hell have you gotten me into?” Alec whispered to her, sending a glance toward Magnus and quickly looking back at her when Magnus caught his eyes. Isabelle laughed and scooted closer to Alec, resting a hand on his shoulder.

“Alec, this will be good for you. Magnus’s practices are fantastic. Besides, so is that.” She smirked and nodded her head toward the front of the room. Alec turned in time to see Magnus bend over into a stretch. His eyes zeroed in on how the yoga pants the other man wore clung perfectly to the plump, round- He looked back at Isabelle, cheeks bright red and eyes trying to glare through his embarrassment. She only smiled wider and positioned herself back on her mat. Alec clenched his teeth and swallowed hard, his heart beating a little faster as he tried to ignore what his own thoughts.

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to yoga. I hope you all brought water and towels because we are about to get very hot and sweaty.” Magnus’s eyes met Alec’s as he spoke, a devilish smirk flitting across his face. Alec gulped and briefly wondered if the tan, slanted eyed attractive instructor would be the end of him.

As they went into downward dog to stretch, Alec caught sight of those bright blue yoga pants stretching over Magnus’s ass and decided that, yes.

He would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally! I'm so sorry about the wait, dearies. I did my best to make this one much longer and more fleshed out and I hope the meeting met your expectations! This work is unbeta'd and I forgot to mention that so all mistakes are mine and I hope you enjoyed! Leave a comment on what you thought about it!


	4. Guiding Hands

Magnus stretched into downward dog, hands planted firmly on his bright pink mat as he exercised his hamstrings. Gently, he lifted one heel and then the other, bending his knees like he was walking without moving forward.

“Alright, now, gently ‘walk your dog,’ lifting one heel and then the other and lowering back down. This helps to stretch the hamstrings a bit more and the movement is often better for some people than just staying still in the pose.” He closed his eyes as he guided the practice, silently wondering what Alec might look like doing this. If he even was doing it.

“Now, walk your feet forward toward your hands, bending your knees and resting your ribs on your thighs. Don’t forget to breathe. Uttanasana, or forward pose, is actually quite an intense stretch to the hamstrings. Also, I may have forgotten to mention this but if you don’t like my voice, you best leave now. I talk a lot.” Magnus smiled, his voice slightly muffled from being upside down.

Alec, who was silently cursing the fact that he wasn’t flexible at all, thought Magnus’s voice sounded like dripping honey and wished he would talk more. It was distracting Alec from the slight tug of his hamstrings, which refused to stretch enough for him to even try to straighten his knees.

“Hands to the thighs, please come up slowly, dearies. We don’t need any fainting.” Magnus straightened up and so did the rest of the class. He turned to face them with a charming smile.

“How is everyone feeling today? I think we will focus on the hips, glutes and shoulders for the majority of this practice, though if anyone has any injuries or things they need tended to, I will happily help you.”

Alec watched him closely, the way he moved smoothly and gracefully, gesturing with tan hands, his long fingers eloquent. Isabelle shot a sideways look at her entranced brother, a small smile on her lips. When he sensed her eyes, he looked over and she quickly looked back at Magnus to avoid her brother’s possible glare.

Magnus got little response and he shrugged. “Well, alrighty. Let’s begin. Start standing in Tadasana, feet firmly planted in the center of your mat. Roll your shoulders back, arms by your sides. Sometimes it helps to have palms facing forward toward the front of the room.” Magnus, instead of staying on the mat to practice with the class, began to walk around and help guide individuals in their poses. Alec, noticing this as he stood there, felt his heart speed up a bit. He could see Magnus placing his hands on a woman’s back, talking to her about something that made her relax a bit. Magnus walked away with a smile of encouragement.

“Good job, all of you. Remember we are keeping our shoulders back and spine straight but don’t push your chest out or you will cause a very painful sway in your lower back.” Magnus drifted between the rows of people, hands clasped. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger together as he spoke, a nervous behavior he had never been able to shake.

“Now, bring the left leg up, bending at the knee. Make sure you aren’t kicking your hip out when you do this.” Magnus began walking up Alec’s row, but he was too focused on not falling over to notice. Alec finally settled into the pose and Magnus got back to his own mat, assuming the position everyone else was in. He gave a slightly devious grin and reached down to grab his big toe.

“Hook your forefinger and middle finger around your big toe and stretch out.” As he spoke, he extended his leg out and up, almost bringing it completely vertical. Alec watched in amazement, and slight arousal as his eyes trailed down the lines of Magnus’s body and the ease with which it moved. He forced himself to look away and tried to stretch his own leg out but couldn’t even get close to getting his knee straight. Magnus watched everyone for a moment.

“Don’t forget to breathe, darlings. Let’s stay here for another breath. If you fall, try and come back.” He let go of his leg and brought it back to the floor. Alec tried to do the same, but wobbled and fell, barely catching himself by placing his leg back to the floor and almost kicking Isabelle in the process. His cheeks flamed a bright red but when he looked around for any judgmental eyes or silent laughter, he saw none. He let out a sigh of relief and followed the class as they did the same thing with the other leg. This time Alec had a bit more focus, and managed to not fall over.

“Good! Now, let’s see…” Magnus thought to himself for a moment, fingers clasped together in front of himself. He finally seemed to make a decision and clapped a bit, looking like a giddy child on Christmas. The smile on his face was so infectious that even Alec grinned widely upon seeing it. Magnus turned to face the wall and centered himself on his mat before speaking.

“Let’s go with some basic strengthening, yes? Stand in the center of your mats and put your right foot forward. Make sure you aren’t standing on a balance beam or you’ll fall over. Keep your right foot farther to the side than your centered left foot. Now, bend the knee and extend your arms. Open your hips toward the gym. This is Virabhadrasana 2, better known as Warrior 2.” Magnus stood strong in the pose, eyes forward. Alec copied his movements and found that this was his favorite, by far.

“From here, raise your right arm up and lean back, lowering your left arm to your left leg. This is Exalted Warrior.” Magnus extended his arm into the air and Alec, being in the front row, caught sight of a shining bead of sweat rolling down Magnus’s bicep and gulped, quickly getting into the pose and staring up at the ceiling.

“Now, come back to Warrior 2. Bend your right arm and rest your forearm or elbow on your bent leg. If you want, you can rest your left arm or you can extend it toward the front of the room. Don’t forget to breathe and keep bending that knee, darlings. This is side angle.” Magnus stretched his arm toward the front of the room, his loose tank top doing nothing to hide the ripple and movement in his defined shoulder muscles. Alec huffed out breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding and tried to focus on the pose.

They repeated the sequence with the other side of their body and by the end of it, Alec’s arms were aching and he struggled to keep them up as they settled back into the warrior pose.

“Your arms weigh an average of 8 pounds each and trust me, lovelies. I’m feeling the struggle too. Just hold on for two more breaths. Try turning your palms toward the ceiling to distract yourself and change the pose.” Magnus’s voice broke the silence of the room and Alec felt a flood of relief from the sound. A few moments later and Magnus guided them out of the pose.

They spent the next fifteen minutes doing a few more poses like Tree, Balancing Half Moon, which ended up with Alec almost face planting to the floor, and a plethora of others that helped Alec’s mind unwind even as his limbs didn’t.

“Let’s sit down in Sukhasana, with your legs crossed.” Magnus sunk to the mat, readjusting his yoga pants and taking a drink from his water bottle. Sweat dripped from his brow due to the heat in the room and he wiped it away with a small rag by his mat. Alec tried not to be disappointed.

“How was that? Good?” Magnus looked around for any response and seemed to be satisfied with the silent nods and smiles. He shifted a bit where he sat and stretched his arms forward along the floor until he was folded down enough to rest his head on the mat. When he spoke, his voice was quieter.

“Alright, gently stretch your arms forward. This is a very intense stretch to the hips, so, please take care and only go as far as your body allows.” He reaffirmed the class gently. Alec stretched forward and was a bit discouraged to realize he was nowhere close to folding in half like Magnus. His muscles stopped stretching long before he was bent over and he was stuck in more of a leaning forward position. Magnus spoke again, his words making Alec wonder if the man could read minds.

“Don’t be discouraged if you don’t come forward very far. This is about stretching your body in a healthy and beneficial way. If you keep practicing yoga and this pose for a while, soon your body will stretch and stretch and allow you to come forward more. It takes practice and dedication.” Magnus slowly sat back up, pushing stray hair from his sticky forehead. “Alright. Put your other leg forward and let’s stretch again. Always benefit both sides of the body in yoga.”

They all stretched forward again and sweat dripped into Alec’s eyes as he leaned forward. Feeling the thick sweatpants sticking to his overheated legs, he began to realize that he might have to invest in a pair of yoga pants after all.

Once they were all back in the cross legged pose, Magnus took a moment to think and glance around. He tried to avoid the inevitable, looking at Alec last. His hair was a mess and sweat dripped from his pale skin, making Magnus’s mind drift to all the things those strong arms might be capable of. He took a deep breath, silently cursing himself. ‘Focus, Bane!’ He snapped internally.

After he had calmed his thoughts a bit, he stood up and the rest of the class followed.

“Turn the mats sideways for this pose. It ensures you don’t slip into a very painful position. Now, lower back down into all fours, like this.” Magnus got into all fours, facing away from the class. His hands were planted onto the cool floor of the mat room, his spine straight. Alec watched his intently, trying his best to focus on the pose and not Magnus’s ass.

“Now, rest your forearms down, directly underneath your shoulders, and position your feet so that they are parallel to the floor, like this.” Magnus rested the inside of each foot on the floor so that his soles were facing the class. Alec caught sight of a flash of silver sparkling nail polish.

“Very, very carefully, walk your knees out to the side as wide as comfortable and press your hips back until you feel a deep stretch.” Magnus’s voice was slightly labored and Alec, still frozen in all fours, stared at the way the slimmer man’s back bowed in slightly, pushing out the firm and perfectly round ass that had been distracting Alec the entire class. The pose made Alec’s mind immediately jump to thinking about what it would look like to be kneeling behind him, pressed up against Magnus’s body and raking his nails down the tan skin of his back, gripping his slim hips hard as he pushed forward- His thoughts broke off and Alec couldn’t help the breathy whimper that slipped from his lips. He prayed that his sister and the other people in the class chalked it up to the intense sensations in his hips. He was almost fully hard, his cock hidden by the baggy sweats he wore and the position he was in. He tried to think of anything else, closing his eyes and looking down at the floor.

‘Oh good god.’ Alec thought to himself. ‘This is not comfortable, at all. And now I’m hard, in a damn public yoga class! Why did I let Izzy talk me into this?’  The intensity, embarrassment, and arousal distracted Alec from the fact that Magnus was once again pacing through the rows of mats and was slowly making his way toward Alec’s row.

Magnus had seen many people in these poses and he never thought anything sexual of any of them. He wasn’t a pervert, he was a professional. However, as he made his way through the rows, his steps stuttered a bit and he almost tripped at the sight of Alexander Lightwood in frog pose.

The tight fitting tank top emphasized the inward arc of his back, the baggy sweats stretching over his ass in the most delicious way. Magnus’s mouth was suddenly dry as he stared, feeling a little lightheaded as all the blood that used to be in his skull rushed south. He did notice however, through his sudden arousal, that Alec was arching his back a little too harshly, instead of pressing back into the pose. He knelt down next to Alec, crouching to hide his arousal. Yoga pants never left anything to the imagination.

“Careful, darling. Here, bring yourself up just a bit, use your core.” Magnus placed a hand to Alec’s stomach and pushed up slightly to encourage him. He may have also gotten to cop a feel of the man’s hardened abdominals but that was beside the point.

Alec stiffened and then relaxed into the touch, letting Magnus’s warm hands guide him. The long fingers pressed into his abs and Alec wondered if he imagined the way one finger traced the line of hard muscle through his shirt. Alec shifted a bit, relaxing as much as he could in the pose, and the hands slipped away.

“Good job.” Magnus’s voice was close by, gentle and slightly out of breath. He looked up just in time to see Magnus walk back to his mat, still facing away from the class.

Magnus bent down to get his water bottle and took a large drink, taking deep breaths to try and calm his body enough to turn around and face the class. Thankfully, Magnus was good at that and a few moments later, he spun around and sat down on the mat. He carefully guided the class out of the pose, avoiding looking at Alec.

“Alright, the part you have all been waiting for. On your backs.” Magnus directed. He led them through a gentle hip twist for a few breaths. “Now, straighten your legs and relax. Do a full body check and see if anything else needs some attention. Low back, hips, shoulders. If not, rest. Let your body surrender to gravity.” Magnus spoke slowly, his voice quieter than before. He used a different tone when he talked his classes into Savasana, opting for something soothing and soft.

Alec relaxed onto his mat, suddenly realizing just how tired his body was. He felt comfortable in the warm room and as he listened to Magnus’s voice melt over him, he slipped into a fully conscious state of relaxation.

Magnus watched as the class settled down and he carefully slipped out of the room, heading toward his office through the lobby and gym to use his bathroom. On the way, he ran into Raphael, who was pacing by the gym’s front desk, looking angry as he checked his watch. Magnus arched a brow at him.

“Who is late?” Magnus asked, reading the signs and behavior of his friend as Raphael glanced at the front doors again.

“Our payment system is screwed up. I called in a favor from my brother’s company and they sent out an IT intern with some accounting background. He is late.” Raphael glared at the door. Magnus crossed his arms.

“Well, I’m sure there is a good reason. Don’t kill the poor boy when he gets here, okay?” Magnus patted Raphael on the shoulder and continued toward the bathroom.

On his way back, his mind drifted to Alexander. Should he ask him out? What if he just thought Magnus was just a weird yoga teacher? What if their date went horribly?

Magnus shook his head. There wasn’t even a date yet. Four years of being single was really doing a number on him.

As he entered the mat room again, quietly shutting the door, he saw the many looks of peacefulness on all of the participants faces and he smiled, pride swelling in his chest. Sinking down to his mat, he spoke, making the volume of his voice steadily rise.

“Time to wiggle toes and fingers. Don’t rush this, darlings. Gently wake your body. Now, turn onto your side, left or right, and stack your limbs. Knees, hips, ankles. Make sure to tuck your arm under your head to keep your neck comfortable. Stay here for a bit and when you feel ready, come up in a seated position.” Magnus smiled as one by one, people started to sit up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alec sit up, trying to tame his ruffled dark hair. Magnus bit his cheek to hold back a giggle.

“Arms up. Today was an amazing practice. Be proud of yourself and others. Hands to the heart. Namaste.”

Magnus bowed his head and brought his hands to his forehead as he murmured the last word. Everyone began to gather up their things and leave. Magnus sat on the mat, sipping his water and saying goodbyes. Isabelle was very quick to gather her things, making Magnus wonder what she was up to. She winked at him when she walked past, jerking her head toward the back, where Alec was struggling to hang up a mat. As she slipped out the door, Magnus stood and made his way to Alec.

“It can’t fight back, Alexander. Have some mercy.” Magnus teased, taking the mat and hanger from Alec’s large hands. Alec jumped a bit, having not noticed Magnus’s approach.

“I uh…these hangers are just too tough to open.” Alec gave a poor excuse, watching as Magnus effortlessly hung up the mat and turned to Alec, hands on his hips. Sweat had dampened the front of his white tank top and made his skin look dewy, the golden tone of it glinting in the light of the mat room. Alec’s eyes trailed over Magnus’s long and elegant neck, the strands of hair escaping his high bun, the way his bright eyes seemed to glow and pierce into Alec’s when they met.

“Are they now? And I thought those muscles of yours were the real deal.” Magnus smirked, watching as red spread across Alec’s already flushed skin.

“They are.” Alec looked the slightest bit offended and Magnus laughed. The sound was accompanied by an open mouthed smile that made Magnus’s eyes crinkle up and Alec grinned crookedly along with him.

“Oh, Alexander. You are adorable.” Magnus lay a hand on Alec’s bicep, eyes twinkling. Alec sucked in a breath and shot an uncertain look at the yoga instructor, who met his gaze steadily.

“O-oh?” Alec stammered, voice squeakier than he would ever admit to it being. Magnus stared at him, the silence between them as palpable as the attraction. After a few breaths, Magnus spoke.

“Would you like to get a drink sometime?”

Alec didn’t have time to think it through before his mouth was moving, a slow smile forming on his face.

“Yeah, that sounds fun.”

 

Alec left the mat room wearing a genuine smile and as he and Isabelle drove home, it didn’t leave his face once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda boring, I know. I'm sorry! I tried but writing a yoga practice is more difficult than doing one. I hope you all like it though and I promise that their first date will be better! Love to all of you, my darlings! I love hearing your feedback, so don't hesitate to comment :)


	5. There Is a First Time For Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IM SO SORRY. My life has been crazy and I know this is super late and I hope it makes up for my disappearance. Finals and work have been kicking my ass and I graduate next week! (woohoo!) But I still wholeheartedly apologize for the delay, lovelies. I never meant for it to take so long. I beg for your forgiveness! And remember! Feedback is always welcome! I love you all! Also, all my mistakes are mine, I have no beta because my boyfriend is uncomfortable reading any sort of smut and I have no friends. :)

"So, from the shit-eating grin on your face, I'd say yoga went well, yeah?" Jace was sitting in the kitchen when Alec entered, fiddling on his phone. Alec assumed he was texting Clary and didn't answer, not willing to cater to his adoptive brother’s teasing. He tossed his car keys on the counter and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, bending down low to avoid knocking his head on the door to the freezer. He opened it and quickly drained the bottle, plastic crinkling in his grip. He tightened the cap back on as Jace finally looked up from his phone, catching the smirk Alec gave him before throwing the bottle at Jace with a flick of his wrist. Jace reacted just quick enough to avoid getting hit with it, one hand coming up to protect his face from the makeshift weapon as he let out an offended yelp. Alec chuckled and left the kitchen before Jace had even realized Alec had never responded. With a frown, he called after the retreating back of his brother.

"You'll have to tell me about all the zen stuff sooner or later!" Alec shook his head and laughed softly, ignoring Jace as he made his way to his room to change. He shut the door behind him, not bothering to lock it, and stripped off his shirt. He tossed it into the laundry hamper and walked over to his dresser. Digging around in the top drawer, he pulled out another black tank top, almost exactly like the previous one he had been wearing. He pulled it on and decided to keep his sweatpants on. The Lightwood mansion was drafty on even the warmest of days in New York and there wasn't a lot of those to begin with.

Alec grabbed his laptop from his small desk and went to sit on his bed, stretching out his legs as he leaned back against the headboard. His old childhood bed was about four inches too short for him and he couldn't help but frown a little when his feet hung off the edge. He knew, logically, he should move out, or at least buy a new bed. He had the money. But his mother was all about keeping the family together, even if it was only for business benefit, and with such a large house, it wasn't a big deal if the three eldest kids stuck around. Opening his laptop, Alec immediately checked his email, throwing spam in the trash and looking for anything from Dumort Industries. He found one, received this morning and chewed his lip nervously. Not answering an email immediately was something his mother despised.

 

Opening it, he scanned the text quickly.

 

 

 

Mr. Lightwood:

 

I wholeheartedly apologize for the huge misunderstanding that may have been caused by the last email. Our computer systems recently had some errors that caused stock lists and receipts to go missing, leading us to believe that our company never got The Institute's shipment. However, we have hired a new accountant and IT team and rectified the mistake. We have received notice that your shipment did indeed make it to our warehouse and we have returned the money you sent us to compensate. I hope that this email brings you relief and I personally assure you this kind of miscommunication will not happen again in the future.

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Cecilio Santiago

 

 

 

Alec let out a heavy sigh of relief as he read the email and quickly forwarded it to his mother before responding politely to Cecilio. He assured him no harm was done and thanked him repeatedly. As he was finishing the email, his phone began to ring on the bedside table and he grabbed it, answering it without checking the caller ID.

 

"Alec Lightwood." He stated his name in greeting, used to so many business calls that he even answered his personal phone the same way.

 

"I'd hope so, or else your sister gave me the wrong number." A smooth voice filtered through the phone and Alec’s voice stuck in his throat.

 

"Magnus. Hey. Um. What's up?" Alec shut his laptop, focusing on the conversation instead.

 

A soft chuckle preceded the other man's response. "Well, darling, I was hoping we could have our date a little earlier than expected. I’m free tonight and I'm not really willing to wait until Friday night."

 

Alec glanced at the calendar on his computer. "Magnus, that's tomorrow night."

 

He could imagine the confident smile on the other end as Magnus hummed. "A whole twenty four hours farther away than I would like. What do you say? 8 o'clock? At my loft?" Magnus dared to let his voice sound hopeful when he asked. There was hesitation on the other end of the line and he felt his chest tighten a bit.

“Um, yeah. Sure. I think I can get the night off from paperwork duty.” Alec stood up, setting his laptop aside and going over to his closet. He glanced back at his clock on the bedside table. He had two hours until 8.

“Oh good! I’ll have drinks and food by the time you get here. And don’t worry, yoga pants aren’t required.” Alec couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that.

“Thanks for that.” He muttered in response. Magnus’s laughter was the only response before he hung up.

Alec tossed his phone on the bed and stared at all of his clothes. He knew anything he chose to wear wouldn’t fit Isabelle’s standards, let alone Magnus’s. After all, even the man’s exercise clothes looked expensive and designer. Sighing, Alec began digging around in the wardrobe, searching in the back corners and bottom drawers for something to wear.

“Alec? Can I come in?” A voice called from the other side of his door. Isabelle opened it without waiting for his response and he thanked the Gods above he wasn’t naked. No need for a repeat of what happened a few months ago.

“Izzy, really, can’t you wait for me to actually say yes?” He asked, exasperated. She ignored him and he continued to rifle through his hanging shirts and folded pants. After a moment, she spoke.

“Well, I was going to ask you to help me with some paperwork from mom but it seems you’re…busy. What are you looking for, mi hermano?” She plopped onto his bed, grimacing when she felt how uncomfortable it was. She folded one long leg over the other, the tan expanse of her skin exposed by the short skin tight dress she wore. Even as her brother, and her gay one at that, Alec could see why his sister was so sought after throughout their lives growing up. 

“Well. I have a…meeting.” Alec sat on the wooden floor, looking defeated as he avoided Isabelle’s eyes. She blinked a few times, connecting the pieces together in her mind before a smile split her face.

“You have a date with Magnus!” Isabelle jumped up from the bed, clapping her hands together. “Finally! I wasn’t sure if he would ask you or not! When is it?” She asked, excitement sparkling in her eyes. Alec glanced at the clock again.

“An hour and forty minutes.”

Isabelle’s eyes widened. “Alec! Why aren’t you getting dressed? It takes a half hour to even get to Brooklyn from here!”

Alec shrugged. “I was trying but I couldn’t pick what to wear…” He stood up from the floor and began to look through his closet again. Isabelle came up beside and tossed aside most of what he picked out, sending glares his way each time he grabbed an old black sweater. After a minute of this, he threw his hands up. “See my point? You don’t like any of it so obviously neither will Magnus.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes and knelt down to look through the bottom drawers. “Alec, Magnus likes how you look in raggedy sweats, an old tank top, and covered in sweat. What makes you think he would care about your old sweaters?”

“Well then why won’t you let me wear any of them?”

“Because they’re really hideous. Here. Try this. You haven’t worn it since I got it for you last Christmas.” Isabelle tossed him a soft, dark blue long sleeve shirt that she had said ‘accentuated his body’ when she had given it to him. He pulled off his tank top and slipped it on, pushing up the sleeves almost immediately. Isabelle then tossed a pair of light gray pants at him and stood up. “There. Wear that. And don’t worry, I’ll cover for you if mom comes looking.”

Alec gave her a grateful smile and stood up, holding the pants in one hand as he wrapped her in a one arm hug. “You’re the best, Izzy.”

She smiled and hugged him back, tightening her arms around his waist. “I know.”

***********************************************************************

Magnus was moving around his loft quickly, picking up the scattered books and knick knacks that had been misplaced and stashing them away on the many bookshelves he had. The apartment itself was clean of dirt and dust but the clutter of Magnus’s things tended to make it look worse than it was. The large and open layout was decorated both lavishly and minimally, from the deep burgundy armchair and the ornate framed paintings to the white fur rug and the black leather couch. Magnus had plenty of furniture in storage, changing the décor from month to month as he saw fit. His most recent change was the bright canary yellow sheets on his bed.

He stopped in the middle of the room, glancing around and running a hand carefully through his gelled up hair. He couldn’t remember the last time he had had a date with anyone and he was slightly terrified, to say the least. Taking a deep breath and counting to seven, he blew out through his mouth and tried to clear his mind. Yoga could always lend a helping hand, even off the mat. After about four more breaths, he felt less frantic and opened his eyes. The loft was clean and that alone eased Magnus’s nerves.

He straightened his long flowing shirt as he walked over to the mirror he had on the wall, next to one of his favorite statues. He admired the deep purple and the offsetting gold swirls of the shirt while wondering if he should button it up all the way or leave it halfway open. He double checked his makeup, a light glitter eyeshadow and sleek eyeliner, before noticing he had left the doors to his bedroom open. He moved to close them, fearing that leaving them like that would seem suggestive, when the doorbell rang. Magnus started and hurried toward it, opening the door, ready to greet Alec. Seeing the delivery boy, he sighed in relief, and perhaps a bit of disappointment, before paying and taking the Thai food. He kicked the door shut and headed to the kitchen, his bare feet padding softly on the wood floor.

 He set the out the food on some plates, portioning a bit of everything onto Alec’s and his preferred dishes on his own. Grabbing a bottle of wine, he carefully carried all of it out to the coffee table and set it up to look more casual. He didn’t want to scare the boy off with a sudden candlelit dinner, after all. He saw Chairman eyeing the food from his perch on the arm of the couch and shooed him toward the front door. Magnus got the small creature to the door and opened it to nudge him out with his foot, ignoring the pitiful and angry meows.

“Not tonight, Chairman. Someone else gets my attention and you will just have to deal with it.  Besides, he is much more wonderful than you, and dare I say, cuter. Much cuter-Oh. Alexander. Hello.” While pushing Chairman out the door, Magnus had looked up to notice Alec standing there, arm raised as if to knock. A small smile quirked his lips up at one corner and Magnus’s chest got a little tight.

“Hey, Magnus.” Alec was surprised at how confident he sounded as Magnus stepped aside to silently let him in.

“Welcome to my humble abode. And try to forget the ramblings a mad man has with his cat.” Magnus led Alec into the loft, gesturing at the room. He looked expectantly up at Alec, surprisingly not hating the large height difference, even though it made him even more nervous.

Glancing around, Alec’s smile turned into a more anxious look and he nodded slowly. “Not a chance. Also, it’s nice. Big.”

Magnus clasped his hands together in front of him, unsure how to answer. An awkward silence filled the air between them for a moment until Magnus cleared his throat and smiled. “Drinks?”

Alec nodded, taking off his black leather jacket and draping it over the back of the couch. Magnus’s eyes ran up and down his body, unashamed and sparkling in the low light of the loft.

“My, my, you are pretty.” Magnus smirked, tossing a wink at Alec over his shoulder as he turned to pour their wine. Alec was thankful the man’s back was to him, knowing he was blushing hard.

“Thanks…” Alec shifted from foot to foot, hands shoved in his pockets. Magnus sat down on the couch and patted the spot next to him, holding out a generous glass of wine. Alec sunk down next to him, putting only about two feet of space between them. He took the moment to admire Magnus’s appearance, something entirely different than he had seen in the yoga class earlier that day. The shirt was sheer and unbuttoned to halfway down the man’s chest, an expanse of tan skin exposed to Alec’s greedy eyes. He swallowed and trailed his eyes down to the tight pants Magnus wore like a second skin, feeling his cheeks heat up. It wasn’t until Magnus cleared his throat softly that Alec realized he was still holding out the glass of wine. Alec flushed and took it from him, holding it gingerly in one large hand.

“So, Alexander. How did you like the practice today?” Magnus sipped his wine, one eyebrow arched as he gazed at Alec over the rim of his glass.

“It was…good. Good.” Alec nodded, taking a drink of his own wine to avoid talking more. Magnus eyes twinkled in amusement, a small smile gracing his full lips. Alec noted the red stain on them from the wine and licked his lips subconsciously. Magnus’s eyes darted down to them and back up to his eyes, a movement so miniscule that Alec almost missed it.

“Good. I hope it benefited you. I would really love for you to continue to attend them.” Magnus took another drink of his wine, slim eyes boring into Alec’s. He looked away after a moment and gestured toward the food. “I put some of everything on your plate. I wasn’t sure of your preferences.”

Alec looked at the food and realized how hungry he was as he set down the wine and grabbed the plate and fork. He began to eat, trying his best not to look too ravenous. Magnus grabbed his own food, settling back into the couch and kicking his bare feet up onto the coffee table. They ate in silence until their plates were cleared and Alec set his down first, shooting a sideways glance at Magnus as he did.

“So. Um. Why do you like yoga?” Alec stammered, picking a safe topic that he hoped wouldn’t lead anywhere too tempting. Magnus finished his last bite and swung his feet off the table, setting his plate aside and taking up his wine again.

“I find it very calming and beneficial to my health. I do other exercise, of course, but yoga is for the mind. That, and flexibility.” Magnus struggled to keep his face blank as Alec gave an almost audible gulp, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Briefly, Magnus wondered what kind of reaction he might get from the boy if he ran his teeth over it.

“Flexibility?” Alec’s voice cracked slightly as the question slipped out without his permission. Magnus’s mask cracked and a devious smirk appeared on his face.

“I can get both of my feet behind my head. As well as do the splits. Folding myself in half is easy-peasy. Among all of those other positions…” Magnus trailed off and Alec found himself shifting closer to him on the leather couch. Magnus’s breath quickened and Alec’s palms felt slick.

“Magnus…” He began, watching as the yoga instructor sat forward and set his wine glass on the table. They were a foot apart now, the air in the room seeming heavier than before. Alec’s mouth went dry and he continued. “I’ve never…dated. Or done any of this. I don’t know how to…” He caught Magnus’s eyes, the bright yellow-green shining even in the low light of the room. Magnus lay a hand on his knee, slowly, watching for any sign that Alec didn’t want him to. Alec only tensed slightly, eyes darting down and back up, relaxing almost instantly as they met Magnus’s again.

“I understand. First time for everything, after all. But maybe we can start simple.” Magnus’s voice was almost a whisper as he leaned in, warm breath ghosting over Alec’s cheek as their lips met. It was just a gentle press of Magnus’s mouth against his own but Alec felt his pulse racing and he tentatively reached up to place a hand on Magnus’s cheek, pulling him ever so slightly closer. Magnus deepened the kiss gingerly, his lips parting against Alec’s, who nervously copied him. Magnus sighed, his hand tightening on Alec’s knee as Alec grew more adventurous, tongue darting forward to brush against his bottom lip. When Magnus felt the first nip of teeth sinking into it, he exhaled sharply and pulled away. Alec’s eyes were wide and anything but innocent, though he thankfully didn’t look hurt by Magnus’s withdrawal. His cheeks were flushed, contrasting red against his light skin, and his hand was resting on Magnus’s neck.

“I think, perhaps, it is time we say goodnight, Alexander. Or else I might not let you leave.” Magnus commented, his own chest rising and falling just as fast as the other boy’s. Alec nodded mutely, removing his hand and standing after a moment. He gathered up his jacket and Magnus walked him to the door in silence. Standing in front of it, Alec rubbed the back of his neck and spoke.

“Thank you. Tonight was…nice. We could do it again, sometime…?” He stumbled over his own words and Magnus smiled brightly, his eyes wrinkling around the edges.

“I would love that. For now, goodnight, Alexander. Travel safe.” He stood up on his toes to kiss the taller man’s cheek, lingering for a moment. Alec moved to leave and stopped in the doorway, turning around just enough to kiss Magnus on top of the head, ignoring the way the gelled spikes poked him as he did so.

“Goodnight, Magnus. Sleep well.”

With that, he turned and left.


End file.
